For the rest of this trip, we are staying every night in a different place. Last night before going to bed, we rearranged the contents of our suitcases and assorted bags. We did this so that we could leave some things in the car and not have to bring them into our accommodation. After getting the car packed up, we said goodbye to Pamela and Dermot. The hosts with the most. We are headed further into Northern Ireland.
In doing research for this trip, we came across a scenic drive called the Causeway Coastal Route. It travels along the coast of Northern Ireland from Belfast to Derry-Londonderry. We thought it would be a great way to see the country. I also thought it would be a great introduction for me to driving in Ireland. All I can say is that it is very scary at first and takes so much concentration.
I do not remember all of the places we stopped at but I really enjoyed seeing sheep by the side of the road, Kinbane Castle and the late lunch we had in the seaside town of Ballycastle.
Next up was the true highlight of the day, Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. It starts off with a one kilometre hike to the bridge. No sun today, only rain and wind. The bridge was first built by salmon fishermen over two hundred and fifty years ago. While hanging ninety-eight feet above the ocean, this sixty-six foot bridge connects the mainland to the tiny island of Carrickarede.
First up was me. It started out fine but as I was making my way across, the wind really picked up. I stopped a couple of times to question myself as to why I was out there, was I going to die the day before my birthday and how was I going to get back. Slowly I inched my way to the other side and then signalled to Karen to not go across.
But she gave me the thumbs up and started walking. She had all the same thoughts as me and we both agreed, this was the stupidest thing we have ever done.
We noticed a young girl standing around measuring the wind speed. She works for National Trust the organization that manages historical sites and natural attractions in Northern Ireland. She said that they shut the bridge down when the winds get above 35 MPH. When we crossed over, it was 28.8 MPH. It was now 34.2 MPH and time to go back. I used the method of getting down lower and to go as quickly as possible. Boy was I glad when I hit solid ground. Next up was Karen but the wind was now 39.4 MPH. She had trouble trying to hold on to the one side but she made it safely across as well. The walk back to the car took us a little longer since our legs felt like Jello.
Our last stop of the day was Giant’s Causeway an area of about forty thousand basalt columns. Since we got here just after 5pm, the visitors centre was closed. This meant that we had to do a twenty-five walk down instead of taking the shuttle bus. Because of the rain and wind, this meant that there were far fewer people than normal.
It was about a thirty minute drive to our Airbnb in Castlerock. Rosie who manages the apartment met us to give the keys and explain everything in the unit. We finished up our day with some takeaway fish & chips and a relaxing evening looking out to the ocean.
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